Ryan Bradshaw
Global Perspective
Various European countries have shown critical developments in policy, which thrive towards achieving a gender-balance workforce by encouraging male participants in the early years workforce and achieving gender equality on top of their priority agendas
Over the last 20 years, Norway has successfully recruited more men into the early years workforce due to the Government’s strategy to achieve gender equality which included measures to recruit male practitioners into the early years sector (Peeters, Rohrmann and Emilsen, 2015).
United Kingdom Perspective
Research conducted by Davies (2017) concluding that the proportion of male practitioners within the early years sector in the UK remains at 2%. A comparative study from Barlett (2015) also suggests that there have been decades of attempts to achieve a greater gender balance in many different professions, however the early years workforce seen to have fallen behind. Recent developments in male practitioner retention have highlighted the need for a robust strategy to support the sector compared to other European countries.
Gender
Gender has a huge contribution in the exploration of trying to recruit men in to the ECEC, Warin, et al, (2020) research on the GenderEYE project (2020) presented evidence that early years practitioners are viewed as “genderless role” indicating that male and female practitioner roles in the sector on the same in the terms of skills and roles. Although each bring something different to the role including attitudes, personalities. The genderEYE project (2020) suggest that in practice, gender stereotypes appear as male practitioners may be allocated or excluded from tasks for example nappy changing or rough and tumble play.
Single Sex support Strategies and Training
Wilkinson and Warin, (2021) suggest that single sex training groups or men only training would be beneficial for who men who are just starting out as early years professionals. Single sex groups have shown to provide opportunities to support and develop confidence and ensuring that male practitioners are ease into the workforce.
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Careers Advice
Bartlett and Davies (2015) suggest that careers advice should provide information to encourage men and boys that working in early education and childcare that it is challenging but rewarding and opportunities for career progression. Bartlett and Davies (2015) express that careers advice needs to help normalise male in early education and childcare industry and providing up to date information of what is required and the qualities and skills
Methodology
For the research methodology the researcher will be conducting four interviews with three of the professionals are within the early years sector including CEO, Childcare Director and Early years, Childcare and Education Recruiter and Communications manager for the Fatherhood Institute. Two of the interviews will be Face to face meetings and two of them will be via teams. Having female and males perspective on the project is very important for having different approaches and views.
References
D.Bartlett and J. Davies (2015) Men in Childcare: How can we achieve a more gender-balanced early years and childcare workforce?
J.Davies (2017) ‘How can we attract more men into London’s Early Years Workforce’ Available at:http://www.fatherhoodinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/MITEY-2017-London-report-1.pdf
J.Peeters, T.Rohrmann and K.Emilsen (2015), Gender Balance in ECEC: why is there so little progress?, “European Early Childhood Education Research Journal” 23(3), 302-314
J.Warin, J.Wilkinson, J.Davies, H.Greaves and R.Hibbon (2020) ‘Gender Diversification of the early years workforce: Recruiting and supporting male practitioners’
J.Wilkinson and J.Warin (2021) ‘Men-only support spaces in early years education: a step towards a gender diverse or a gender divided workforce’, Gender and Education’ DOI:10.1080/09540253.2021.1990221